Time line

Date / Category / Event / Notes / Link

1770 Capt. James Cook landed eastern Australia in H.M.S. Endeavour

1788, January 26 First fleet of 11 ships arrives Sydney Cove Established the penal colony that became the first European settlement in Australia.

1798 Flinders and Bass in the sloop Norfolk circumnavigated Van Diemen’s Land, proving it to be an island, and opening up a route to southern Australia

1801, March Matthew Flinders circumnavigates continent, which he names ‘Australia’

1803 Union (for 4 months), captain Isaac Pendleton Independence built by American sealers based in American River.

1804 Foundation of Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land, as a British colony

1806 (approx) "Joseph Murrell & 6 crew stranded" Sealers dropped off at the N.E. end of KI at Murrell’s Landing (Harvey’s Return)

1809 Eliza collects Murell + 2, returns to Port Jackson with skins

1810 Endeavour of Sydney, Endeavour of Norfolk Salt, seal skins

1812 Elizabeth and Mary collected KI salt, returned to Sydney in June

1812 Campbell Macquarie arrives Nepean Bay

1813 Henry Fifer, sealer, from "Elizabeth and Mary" (or "Campbell Macquarie"?) Still on KI 1817

1817 Henrietta, Rosetta, Spring arrive Hobart with KI salt and skins

1818 ‘Governor’ Henry Wallen (aka Wallan) established a farm in the Cygnet River Valley

1818 (approx.) Abyssinian Jack (John Anderson) sealer, reported as living on KI for 14 years

1819 Jupiter, Captain Ainswworth Salt and skins, C.Feen (Chief Officer) and Samuel Tomlins drowned at Bay of Shoals.

1819 Governor Macquarie Captain Sutherland on Kangaroo Island (see 1831)

1820 Little Mary, Captain James returns from KI to Sydney

1824 Nathaniel Walles Thomas from the brig Nereus Tasmanian aboriginal wife Betty

1824 George ‘Fireball’ Bates, established a farm in Hog Bay

1826 Population "Upwards of 200 souls vegetating on this convenient spot. 30 men and 40 black women, independent of a numerous progeny, contrive to make themselves quite comfortable in their snug retreat."

1827 Nathaniel Walles (Nat) Thomas established a farm at Creek Bay

1827 Major Lockyer reports on Kangaroo Islanders "'a complete set of pirates, ..., having their chief resort or den at Kangaroo Island,..

1830 Charles Sturt explores Murray River

1831 Captain Sutherland writes glowing account of his 1819 visit influencing the SA Coy to establish the capital on K.I.

1831, April 29 Collett Barker killed by natives Murray Mouth

1831, December 20 Elizabeth, Capt John Hart, Nepean Bay

1834 George Meredith (later murdered) Aboriginal wives Big Sal and Suke.

1835 William, cutter, William Thompson disembarks and joins Waller

1836, February 19 Letters Patent enabling the South Australian Act establishing the Province of South Australia

1836, June 14 Capt John Hindmarsh received commission as Governor of SA

1836, July 27 Duke of York arrives Nepean Bay

1836, July 30 Lady Mary Pelham arrives Nepean Bay

1836, August 19 John Pirie arrives Nepean Bay

1836, August 20 Rapid arrives Nepean Bay

1836, September 11 Cygnet arrives Nepean Bay

1836, September 24 Samuel Stephens, Charlotte Beare married aboard the John Pirie

1836, September 27 John Pirie departs Kingscote headed for Hobart Town to collect supplies.

1836, October 5 Emma arrives Nepean Bay

1836, November 4 Africaine arrives Nepean Bay

1836, November 7 John Rapid Hoare birth Rapid Bay

1836, November 20 Tam O'Shanter arrives Nepean Bay

1836, December 24 Buffalo arrives Port Lincoln

1836, December 28 Buffalo arrives Holdfast Bay

1836, December 28 Proclamation of the commencement of the colonial government at Glenelg

1837 David MacLaren Manager, SA Coy to 1841

1837, January 12 Coromandel arrives Nepean Bay, and stayed about 3 days

1837, January 16 William Hutt arrives Nepean Bay from London, went aground, one passenger Matthew Peary PIESSE, departs 22 Jan 1837 for Holdfast Bay. The same year Matthew married Margaret Eliza CLARK(E) who arrived a little earlier on the Africaine.

1837, February Jeremiah Calnan (Africaine) dies at sea Encounter Bay

1837, February 7 John Renwick arrives Nepean Bay

1837, March 5 John Pirie departs Kangaroo Island bound for Hobart Town for more supplies.

1837, March 9 Lucy Beare nee Loose dies, burial Pioneers Cemetery

1837, April 22 South Australian arrives Nepean Bay en route to Holdfast Bay

1837, May Regia from Sydney to Adelaide

1837, May Lord Hobart from the Cape, with cattle, to Pt Adelaide

1837, May 4 Schah (Shah) en route to Holdfast Bay from England

1837, June 20 Death of King William IV of England.

1837, June 21 Princess Victoria proclaimed Queen

1837, October 16 Hartley arrives Nepean Bay, carrying the William Giles family

1837, October 14 Maria Kleeman, nee Helm dies at sea on Solway, buried Pioneers Cemetery

1837, October 15 Solway, Katherine Stewart Forbes, Hartley at Nepean Bay

1837, November 30 Navarino at Nepean Bay dropping off several passengers before proceeding to Holdfast Bay 6 December 1837. Barque under the command of Captain Christopher Abel Warming and carried 217 passengers of which 151 were adults and 66 were children.

1838, January 15 Royal Admiral direct from Falmouth 16w 1d arrives Nepean Bay for 2 days

1838, June 10 Vice-Regal. Governor Hindmarsh visits Kingscote Arrived on the Pelorus. Entertained by W. Giles.

1838, July 14 Governor Hindmarsh recalled replaced by Lt-Colonel George Gawler

1838, July 25 Duke of Roxburghe en route to Holdfast Bay discharged Enoch Essex, wife and child, and a single man

1838, October 12 George Gawler, 2nd governor arrives on 'Pestonjee Bomanjee'

1838, November 9 Ship Bengalee carrying first Prussian settlers. Then to Port Adelaide 16 Nov.

1838, December 20 Ships Prince George, Goshawk ballasting in Nepean Bay

1839 SA Company HQ moved from Kingscote to Adelaide

1839, February 18 Samuel Giles dies age 9y, buried Pioneers Cemetery

1839, July 18 Edward Hollingworth Giles dies age 8m, buried Pioneers Cemetery

1839, October 6 Col. William Light dies at Thebarton

1840, January 18 Samuel Stephens, manager SA Coy to 1837 dies from falling from horse

1841, May 10 Governor Gawler recalled, replaced by George Grey until 1845 Colonization Commission bankrupt

1843 John Ridley invented reaping machine radically changed farming methods

1844 Kapunda copper mining started

1845 Burra Burra copper mining (to 1877)

1845, October 25 Governor (until 1848) Lt-Col. Frederick Holt Robe

1846, January 9 Elizabeth Beare dies of burns, at Netley, buried West Terrace Cemetery

1847 Ship 11 ton cutter William wrecked at Penneshaw Built American River c.1844 by Wm. Wilkins and Wm. Walker

1848, August 2 Governor (until 1854) "Sir Henry, E.F. Young"

1851 Census Kangaroo Island 85 males 33 females, total 118

1851, September 12 Ship Reliance arrives, en route to Port Adelaide.

1852, January 16 Cape Willoughby lighthouse light exhibited

1853. November 25 Shipwreck Osmali, D'Estrees Bay

1854 John Buick settles at American River, establishing a farm and orchard

1855, June 8 Governor (until 1862) "Sir Richard G. MacDonnell, CB."

1856 Event - SA South Australia became a self-governing colony ratification of a new constitution by the British parliament

1856, April Robert (Henry) "Governor" Wallen dies Adelaide, burial Pioneers Cemetery

1857 Event - SA Waste Lands Act 1857 set out conditions for sale of Crown Land

1858 Samuel Reeves, infant son of Augustus dies, burial Pioneers Cemetery

1858, January 27 Torrens Title - Real Property Act 1858 reforms in registering and conveyancing freehold title of land in S.A.

1859 Faith, Hope and Charity cottages built by Charles and Michael Calnan

1859, July 5 P.&O. steamer Salsette arrives Nepean Bay from Southampton en route to Melbourne

1859, July 13 Cape Borda lighthouse light exhibited

1860 Wallaroo copper mining started

1860, May 21 Shipwreck Fides, nr Snug Cove

1861, November 6 Thomas Hudson Beare dies, buried Myponga.

1862, March 4 SA Governor (until 1868) Sir Dominick Daly

1862, October 27 Harriet Granger (wife of George) dies, burial Pioneers Cemetery

1869 Strangways Act 1869 (amendment of Waste Lands Act) applied credit purchase to defined ‘agricultural areas’ in SA

1871, May 26. Vice-regal visit. The Right Honourable Sir James Fergusson Bt

1874 Hundred of Dudley proclaimed

1874 County Carnarvon, proclaimed

1875, December 25 Submarine cable to Normanville project completed in 6 days

1876, August 13 Cape Borda to Kingscote overland cable connecting to Adelaide

1877 Land Selection : Dundas, Menzies, Haines, and Cassini

1877, May 15 Shipwreck Emily Smith, South K.I.

1878 Hundred of Menzies proclaimed

1880, May 15 Telegraph line completed between Cape Willoughby and Kingscote, enabling communication to the mainland.

1881, May 9 George Granger dies, burial Pioneers Cemetery

1882, January 13 Hog Bay becomes Penneshaw, Government Gazette

1882, January 20 Large bush fires on K.I.

1882 French gunboat, The Governor Bruat, called into K.I., bound for New Caledonia, and was not reported to the authorities, speculating rumours.

1882, December 28 the town of Maxwell was proclaimed. The name of the town was changed to Emu Bay in December 1941.

1883 Land Hd Haines proclaimed

1883 Event - KI New Kingscote Cemetery Pioneers cemetery ceded by SA Coy

1884 Land Hd Cassini proclaimed

1884 John Bernard ANDERSON and George Wilson RUTHVEN Publicans of Queenscliffe Hotel.

1884, April 14 Shipwreck Mimosa, Stokes Bay

1884, July 8 Sarah Mary Paris (nee Chennell) wife of George dies, burial Pioneers Cemetery

1885, January 9 Vice-regal. Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson GCMG visits K.I.

1885, June 16 Shipwreck Mars, off Western Bay

1885, October Event - KI Ligurian Bees Bill establishing a sanctuary for Ligurian bees on KI

1886 Event - SA Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1886 consolidate and amend the Law relating to Crown Lands

1887, September 16 BDM / Personal Lucy Beare (nee Bull), Thomas H. Beare's 2nd wife dies, buried North Road cemetery

1888, January 5 Event - KI District Councils Act 1887 - District Council of Kingscote initially comprised the entirety of Kangaroo Island

1888, June 7 Event - KI Proclamation of District Council of Dudley "severed" from the District Council of Kingscote

1889, January 26 Shipwreck Maldon Lewis, off Point Morrison

1890 Proposal for erection of a Chamber for Kingscote Council. (Opened 1898)

1890, June 14 Shipwreck You Yangs, East of K.I.

1894 S.A. parliament passes Act for the franchise to women. They voted for the first time in the election of 1896.

1895, February Large bush fires on Kangaroo Island.

1895 Population estimated at ninety souls, all told.

1896 Matilda ANDERSON, Queenscliffe Hotel

1897, December 3. Vice-regal. Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton Bt GCMG visits Kingscote.

1899 Boer War to May 1902

1899, April 24 Shipwreck Loch Sloy, Maupertius Bay

1901, January 1 Federation of Australia S.A. ceased to be a self-governing colony and became a state of the Commonwealth of Australia.

1901, January 22 Death of Queen Victoria

1901, December 25 John Bernard Anderson prop. Queenscliffe Hotel, dies

1902, May 30 Samuel O'HARA, Queenscliffe Hotel

1902, September 9 James OLDS (Jnr), Queenscliffe Hotel

1902 Flinders Obelisk erected

1903, February. Vice-regal. Lord Tennyson, Governor of Australia 1899-1902 visits American River, Hog Bay.

1903 Approval for name of Queenscliffe to revert to original name - Kingscote. [Official change in 1940]

1903-08-09 Henry AYRIS, Queenscliffe Hotel

1905 Shipwreck Loch Vennachar, between 6 Sep - 29 Sep

1906 Hundred of MacGillivray proclaimed

1906, November 18 Shipwreck Montebello, west Stunsailboom River

1907, October 9 Matilda ANDERSON, Queenscliffe Hotel

1908 Royal Commission (to 1911) upon the necessity for a railway through K.I.

1908, March 7 K.I. Railway proposal. Deputation to the Commissioner of Crown Lands rebuffed - "The country had not been sufficiently tested". Bad news for the Islanders, particularly the farmers in the new hundreds of MacGillivray and Seddon.

1908 Land Hundred of Seddon proclaimed

1908 Land Farmers and property owners. See list of names in the newspaper article

1908, September 18 Kingscote Golf Club inaugural meeting

1908, March 10 Charles Alfred ANDERSON, Queenscliffe Hotel

1908, November. Vice-regal. Sir George Le Hunte, in the Governor Musgrave visits Vivonne Bay, Cape de Couedie, Hog Bay and Kingscote.

1909, February 18 Vice-regal visit to Kingscote by Governor-General and Lady Dudley

1909 Hd Duncan, Hd Ritchie, Hd Newland proclaimed

1909 Cape du Couedic lighthouse light exhibited

1910 Land Hundred of McDonald proclaimed

1910, July 5 KI Floods

1910, November 28 Vice-regal Admiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet GCVO KCB opens new Kingscote jetty. Opens inaugural K.I. Show, Kingscote.

1912, November 21 Vice-regal Vice-regal Admiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet GCVO KCB opens 2nd K.I. show, Kingscote; visits American River and Vivonne Bay. Returned to Adelaide 26 November 1912.

1914, January. Vice-regal visit. Vice-regal Admiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet GCVO KCB

1915 Settlement of Returned Soldiers ...Act 1915

1915, July 26 Shipwreck Vera, near jetty, Cape De Couedic

1917, April 7. Vice-regal. Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Lionel Galway KCMG DSO fishing holiday. Returned to Adelaide 16 April.

1918, August 28 Ozone Hotel destroyed by fire

1919, October Flinders Chase. After a 27-year advocacy campaign, and periodic dedication of land by the government, in October 1919 the South Australian parliament established Flinders Chase as a nature reserve on the western end of the island. Flinders Chase provides a protected environment for the island’s unique flora and fauna and a sanctuary for mainland species threatened with extinction.

1919, Dec - Jan Vice-regal. Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Lionel Galway KCMG DSO visits K.I. on farewell tour.

1922, May 20 KI Kangaroo Island Football Association incorporation

1923, April 7. Vice-regal, Lieutenant General Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges KCB KCMG DSO, visits K.I.

1924, March 26. Vice-regal visit, Lieutenant General Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges KCB KCMG DSO

1927, January. Vice-regal visit, Lieutenant General Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges KCB KCMG DSO

1928 Telephone connection to Adelaide

1929, January. Vice-regal visit. Brigadier the Honourable Sir Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven VC KCMG CB DSO.

1931 Hundred of Gosse proclaimed

1932 Great Depression Aust. unemployment record 30%

1933 Seven new leases granted in Hundreds of Duncan and Gosse

1934, July 19 Penneshaw Golf Club inaugural meeting

1936, November 7 Vice-regal. The Governor, Sir Winston Dugan, unveiled the Pioneers memorial at Kingscote during centenary celebrations. Returned to Adelaide 12 November.

1939 First road sealing

1940 Maxwell and Emu Bay recognised as Emu Bay.

1945 War Service Land Settlement Agreement Act 1945

1946, November 7 Vice-Regal visit by His Excellency Lieutenant General Sir Charles Willoughby Norrie KCMG CB DSO MC and Lady Norrie

1947 Population 1479

1951, July 26 Soldier Settlement Scheme; Parndana established . 174 families came to live in the area, almost doubling K.I.'s population by 1954. Huge work involved in clearing the land, with Council (Burdon was overseer) laying the new roads. Last new blocks in Hd of Borda settled in 1964.

1953, November 19-21 Vice Regal visit. Air Vice Marshal Sir Robert Allingham George KCMG KCVO KBE CB MC

1954 Population 2522

1960 Hundred of Borda proclaimed

1961 Pardana oval opened. MV Troubridge service begins; end of Karatta service 50 years. Premier Playford advises dam will be built on Middle River. [opened 1964 by R. Wheaton OBE; works completed 1969]

1962 Proposed that EFS units acquire radios for fire control

1963 Anderson family leave the Queenscliffe Hotel (1878-1963)

1965 Submarine cable laid to mainland providing electric power

1966 Land bought in Kingscote for Homes for Aged

1968 Community farewell men leaving for Vietnam

1969, July 27 Reeves Point land given to Council by Roy Carter

1971 Acquisition of "Hope Cottage" by National Trust

1978 Trunk calls end on KI - all will be local

1979 State Emergency Services group formed

1981 Hurricane causes much damage to a portion of Kingscote

1987 Troubridge service terminated; Island Seaway service commences

1991 Event - Australia Economic slump forced farmers to diversify

1996 Kingscote and Dudley Councils amalgamated to create the Kangaroo Island Council

1998 Event - KI Penneshaw reverse-osmosis seawater desalination plant

2011 Population 2011 Census 4417

2015, April Vice-regal. His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO visits K.I.

2019, December 20 - 2020, January Devastating fires destroyed much of Kangaroo Island, and claiming two lives.

2020, Jan 7 Governor General David John Hurley, AC, DSC, FTSE visits K.I.

2022, July 27. Vice-regal. Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC. She also visited Penneshaw on April 6.